Eggnog bread was a creation of mine from about 15 years ago- long before I was plant based or an athlete. Truth be told, it was my go-to holiday food gift for friends/teachers & neighbors for years. Everyone I shared it with clamored over the flavor and moist texture of this treat. Plus, it was a nice disparity from the sea of cookies everyone had in their kitchen. You can find the original, vegetarian recipe here.

As time has passed, I’ll admit, I hadn’t made this treat in several years. Going plant-based, I never quite found an equal counterpart to a traditional eggnog until now. I’ve tried this recipe with several vegan eggnogs and I found success with most brands. I’ve suggested the versions below, in the recipe, that worked best in my opinion. I prefer to make small loaves for gifting. They are the perfect size and let’s face it, most people are drowning in other holiday sweets & treats. However, this recipe would work perfectly in a regular size loaf pan.

This recipe can be subbed out with traditional products like butter and eggnog but I wanted to take a healthier approach as much as possible while keeping with the integrity of my original recipe. I hope you give this recipe a try. Also perfect on Christmas morning amidst the wrapping paper flying and children giggling for a fun and easy breakfast or brunch idea.

So I’ve been testing out a bunch of new recipes for Thanksgiving dinner. Not only a beautiful presented dish (with minimal effort and clean up). It’s either the perfect side dish or main attraction depending on your dietary preferences. It’s flavorful and my current favorite. I hope you try this one!

Ingredients:

1 larger head of organic cauliflower2 tbsp Dijon (I prefer Maille)3 tbl of veg broth2 tbl water for mixture1 tbl oil (I used avocado but olive would work well too) + more for the pan1 tsp of smoked paprika1 tsp ground cumin1/2 tsp garlic powder1/2 tsp tumeric powderSalt (per your taste) I used two pinchesI added new potatoes around the cauliflower but large chunks of carrots would be fun too! Just wash/slice into larger pieces and toss with a bit of oil. Season with salt and pepper and add around the cauliflower (once prepared).

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Wash and trim the leaves off of your cauliflower head. Be careful not to cut any florets off. Add a drizzle of olive oil to the bottom of your pan or small baking dish (whatever you’re using). Into a bowl, add the Dijon, 2 tbl water, oil and seasonings to a bowl. Whisk to combine. Then brush the mixture all over your cauliflower head. Place your prepared cauliflower into you pan or baking dish. Pour the 3 til of broth into the bottom of the pan not over the cauliflower so it can steam and cook quicker (Thanks to Minimalist baker for the tip). Bake for 35-60 minutes or until fork tender. The cooking time is dependent upon the size of the cauliflower.

I’m always making a treat of the week for my family. You know, those little goodies that hang out on a platter or cake stand during the week that serve as breakfast on-the-go, a snack, dessert or whatever! Lately I’ve been making some fun coffee cakes (vegan and gf) but this week I wanted to do bars. I was inspired by So Vegan and did my own take on these bars. They are packed with carbs, fiber, protein, omegas and healthy fats. Great satiating treat during the crazy holiday weeks ahead! I hope you enjoy them.

Into a large bowl, mash your peeled bananas. Then add your oats, pipits, walnuts and hemp hearts. Pit and chop your dates. Add them to the bowl along with a pinch (1/4 tsp) pink Himalayan salt. Mix to combine. Into a saucepan over low/medium heat, add your almond butter, syrup and oil. Bring to a simmer and whisk to combine. Remove from the heat and pour over your oat mixture. Mix to incorporate.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line your 9×9 baking sheet with parchment paper. Spray with oil. Pour in your mixture and level with a spoon. Bake for 40-45 minutes. Remove and allow to cool completely before slicing. Enjoy!

Optional idea: Top the mixture before baking with additional nuts, chocolate chip or seeds.

These brownies came out so unbelievably awesome… and I’m not even a brownie fan. The best & only recipe you’ll ever need. Seriously.

My dad harvested a behemoth zucchini from our garden yesterday and I wanted to do something different with it instead of bread or grilling it. The key with baking anything with zucchini is removing every last bit of water from it. Be patient and these delectable brownies will reward you, pinky promise! I’m not wasting anymore time chatting… we need to get to this, now! Happy Monday friends ~ ox.

Have you ever tried Swiss Chard? Our garden is brimming with it. I love it. Its truly just lovely in color, which admittedly, why I’m drawn to plant it each spring. Nutritionally it has a strong nutritional profile.

18 milligrams (mg) of calcium.

0.65 mg of iron.

29 mg of magnesium.

17 mg of phosphorus.

136 mg of potassium.

10.8 mg of vitamin C.

110 micrograms (mcg) of vitamin A.

0.68 mg of vitamin E

We’ve been prepping chard this way for about 20 years and we just love it. Fast and quite tasty. I’ll admit that I eat a big of serving of this for dinner many nights. Swiss Chard is quite similar in a lot of ways to other greens like spinach. And yes, it’s one of those veggies that cooks down to pretty much nothing. The recipe is a mere guideline for portions. Feel free to use more if you have more on hand. Okay, let’s get cooking! And happy weekend.

This recipe is so easy. Pesto is one of our favorite sauces to make because we grow so much basil in our garden. Pesto is perfect in lieu of marinara sauce on pasta or on pizza crust. It’s also great on new potatoes in a salad, drizzled on roasted veggies or as a condiment on a sandwich or panini. So versatile and unbelievably easy to make.

If you’re new to cooking… try this recipe out. Seriously. We also use this as a dip for raw veggies. Plus with no dairy, it’s a great summer bbq recipe idea. I can go on and on… but I won’t. Take the recipe amounts as mere guide. I typically do handfuls versus cups. I do want to share this tip before I get into the specific recipe… when using this as a sauce on pasta, reserve some cooking liquid from the noodles. Once you’ve drained the noodles, add the pesto to toss along with 2-3 tbl of the cooking water to thin the sauce out. That’s it folk. Love you, enjoy!

After harvesting a behemoth zucchini from our garden this week… I quickly pondered a new recipe idea to use it up fast. I love to add zucchini to my smoothies, yes – it’s perfect for adding bulk and fiber without a ton of flavor to smoothies. But I always have muffins, bars or cookies on my counter for grab and go snacking so I opted for muffins. These muffins are so moist, not overly sweet and very filling.

Zucchini is a great veggie to sneak into food without kid-detectives seeing or tasting it. It’s virtually flavorless. Okay, so let’s get on with it. See below for pics and the recipe. Enjoy!

I know, it’s summer Robin (or almost) but the one ingredient I never stop using is pumpkin! Pumpkin is chock full of vitamins and is very low calorie. Vitamin A, potassium and antioxidant rich. Plus vitamin C & fiber which help promote a healthy blood pressure & heart. So many benefits in this vibrant-colored ingredient. Plus along with everything else that grows, it has protein. Protein! Never has one ingredient been so controversial for people. If you’re vegan like me – the typical question is… “Where do you get your protein?” to “How much is necessary in a diet?” At the vegfest this weekend…. this was a very popular question on the panel I was speaking on.

So how much protein do I need?

The US Department of Agriculture recommends that all men and women over the age of 19 should get at least 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day (or 0.37 grams per pound). That means a woman who is 130 pounds should get at least 48 grams of protein but some recommend 70-80 grams if you’re athletic. Depending on your daily activities, you still may not be getting enough to help your muscles recover from your workouts.

If you get too little protein, you can suffer from fatigue, weakness or muscle loss. Your metabolism slows down and you put yourself at risk of gaining weight. It also weakens your immune system. This breakfast can be made ahead on the weekend so that you can refrigerate or freeze them and defrost as needed. Plus this makes a perfect quick & healthy breakfast for your kids too. And let’s face it… homemade trumps store-bought daily. These are vegan & gluten free.

Steel cut oats are the super food that you can prep on the weekend and enjoy all week long. Serve hot or cold! You may have heard of them but steered clear because they differ from the traditional rolled oats you’re so accustomed to seeing. Well steel cut oats are from the same plants but they aren’t rolled in their processing. They are also not steamed like regular oats before they are sliced and rolled to flatten. Rolled oats cook much faster and can be used in the raw form of overnight oats. Steel cut oats take about 10 minutes to cook but are so worth it because the benefits outweigh it’s flattened counterpart.

Steel cut oats are considered a power food. They are an exceptional source of protein, soluble and insoluble fiber, vitamins and minerals. Steel cut oats help improve blood sugar levels thanks to the beta-glucan and also help assist in lowering cholesterol. I partnered these powerhouse oats with coconut which is excellent for one’s immunity as we quickly approach flu & cold season. Coconut’s saturated fat also doesn’t impact cholesterol. Its antioxidant properties are known to slow down the aging process by protecting the body from harmful free- radicals. It supports healthy hair, bones and teeth. The benefits are vast!

This tasty breakfast can be prepped on Sunday and it can be warmed up quickly in the morning for up to 5 days. Perfect quick breakfast idea![Read more…]

Hello dear friends! Happy Monday, fresh new week and hopefully beautiful weather. Pennsylvania has converted over to Seattle last week & I started to think the rains were never going to end. However, the sun finally came out today, beautiful temps and everything is so lush and green! Doors are opened and we are breathing in all the wonderfully clean air till the allergens pop back up. Ha.

Today, as it is every Monday, the day to refresh snacks for the week. These oatmeal muffins are a long-time fave. The recipe morphs a bit each time I make them, depending what I have on hand, but they are delightful nonetheless. Packed with fiber and healthy fats to keep you satisfied for hours. My kids love these when running out the door to school, work or babysitting jobs. They also make a nice, healthy dessert after dinner. Pack up well in lunches. Great on-the-go snack.